OECD 218/219 – Sediment-Water Toxicity Test

OECD 218 and 219 are designed to assess the effects of prolonged exposure of chemicals to the sediment-dwelling larvae of the freshwater dipteran Chironomus sp. It is based on existing toxicity test protocols for􏰀 Chironomus riparuis and Chironomus tentans.

The chronic Chironomus studies are performed following two different exposure scenarios:

spiking of the water column to simulate a pesticide spray drift (OECD 219*)

spiking of the sediment to address risks from exposure to contaminated sediment, particularly if there is an accumulation of the compound in the sediment over time (OECD 218*)

Standard testing for both OECD 218 and 219 runs for approximately 20-28 days for Chironomus riparuis and 28-65 for Chironomus tentans. For these standard test methods, the measured endpoints are the total number of adults emerged and the time to emergence.

Many toxicology tests are used to meet regulatory requirements for different product applications; for any testing performed to meet regulatory or third party labeling requirements, it is strongly recommended to review requirements prior to testing with the appropriate agency to determine which tests should be performed for label claims or regulatory acceptance.